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Executive Spotlight: Khalid Syed, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton
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Executive Spotlight: Khalid Syed, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton

Khalid Syed, a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, recently spoke with ExecutiveGov regarding the latest trends in technology such as AI, 5G, cloud and others in order to drive our federal agencies to stay ahead of innovation and establish the U.S. as THE global leader.

In addition, Syed also discussed how Booz Allen is supporting the Department of Defense’s (DoD) vision for JADC2 as well as his strategic goals for the company’s growth in the coming year and new markets in the federal landscape to keep an eye on during the latest Executive Spotlight interview.

“There are a lot of innovative and clever ways of doing things, but innovation for innovation’s sake often doesn’t get to an operation-relevant solution. Developing a solution a warfighter can use and apply to a mission right away—to me that’s the key missing part. At Booz Allen, we try to marry how we innovate to meet that mission need. And this is not a trivial thing. It’s something you learn from experience.”

You can read the full Executive Spotlight with Khalid Syed below:

ExecutiveGov: Give us a rundown on what you’re focused on these days at Booz Allen. What are your responsibilities and major challenges? Who are your clients?

Khalid Syed: “Over the course of the past 25 years with the firm, I’ve been in pretty much every market and client space, and for the past 10 years, I’ve led our C4ISR business in Aerospace and across Global Defenses.

We have several initiatives and strategies focused on bringing the Booz Allen value proposition to the forefront to help address several pain points where DoD has continued to face challenges: achieving joint command and control and shortening the decision process—through AI, machine learning, and data—from weeks and months to the speed of battle.”

ExecutiveGov: How is Booz Allen supporting the DoD’s JADC2 vision, and what are the challenges and opportunities in that ecosystem?

Khalid Syed: “One big part of Booz Allen’s support of the JADC2 vision involves working with the DoD and all stakeholders to address the challenges: helping the forces achieve interoperability across their disparate, monolithic systems and helping them modernize legacy systems, some of which are beyond their end of life and many that were built for missions and operational needs that have long evolved.

At the same time, we’ve been supporting JADC2 through our vision of a Digital Battlespace. As JADC2 envisions a force that is interconnected and information-advantaged, we’re using emerging technologies (big data analytics, AI, machine learning, augmented reality, edge computing, etc.), open-source architecture, DevSecOps and Agile practices, and modern procurement methods to help the nation’s armed forces and partners meet these goals with flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

In doing so, we’re helping the DoD achieve an integrated digital battlespace where the military drives information to the edge for faster decisions, uses mobile networks to enable independent yet coordinated operations, delivers warfighters’ data for superior knowledge of force locations, and safeguards military intelligence with advanced cybersecurity.”

ExecutiveGov: What are your strategic goals for the coming year? What do you hope to accomplish, and are there any new markets you’re keeping an eye on in the federal sector?

Khalid Syed: “We want to build mission solutions that are open, connected, smart, and to the edge to meet the future challenges of command and control that will enable services to better to connect to one another – and perhaps just as importantly, connect to our allies and coalition partners to be prepared for today’s great power competition.”

ExecutiveGov: With the influence of emerging technologies impacting every aspect of business, how has your company been able to drive digital transformation efforts to stay ahead of innovation in the federal landscape for yourself and your customers?

Khalid Syed: “Booz Allen has been pursuing M&A and partnership strategy for quite some time toward our latest VoLT (Velocity, Leadership, and Technology) strategy, such as the acquisition of EverWatch, a leading provider of advanced solutions to the defense and intelligence communities, Reveal Technology, a visual analytics and edge artificial intelligence (AI) company, and an investment in end-to-end AI Synthetaic.”

ExecutiveGov: How has your team developed its workflow and ability to drive success in such a competitive market, amidst geopolitical volatility and the pandemic?

Khalid Syed: “In March of 2020, I was in Germany for a meeting on Wednesday and the following Monday, everything shut down. Panic hit for about 30 seconds, then our CEO Horacio Rozanski took the approach of “We’re all in this together,” and we extended that approach to everybody we touched in our ecosystem: colleagues, staff, clients, and teammates.

It’s been a huge, huge gamechanger and it’s what helped us pivot the business at a speed and pace we didn’t think was imaginable. We figured out how to keep the mission going in terms of performance, contractual obligations, getting staff safely and securely onsite to work at classified facilities.

It was an indelible experience for all of us, and fundamental to all of it was working on the challenges together, figuring out what works best, failing quickly, and course-correcting along the way, resulting in even stronger client relationships, business outcomes, and team connections.”

ExecutiveGov: With federal agencies working to implement the latest trends in technology such as AI, 5G, cloud, and many others, what are your thoughts on the success and challenges that government agencies are dealing with to stay ahead of innovation to establish the U.S. as THE global leader?

Khalid Syed: “Federal organizations are looking for an easy button: how can I accelerate requirements through innovation? But too often they implement commercial applications with zero DoD relevance.

Innovation done for commercial or business purposes, and not necessarily with the federal or DoD mission in mind, often falls flat in terms of meeting mission needs. Systems developed for commercial applications often just don’t translate.

You spend the same amount of energy, resources, and funding making a system operation-relevant as you do simply engaging with the industrial base to develop something that’s closer to mission needs.

Fortunately, we’re seeing a shift as clients recognize the benefits of the latter approach. Booz Allen brings the ability to get to operational relevance at speed, and we have done that on many, many occasions.”

ExecutiveGov: We often discuss innovation from the technical or capability side. What are some of the unique challenges that you’ve seen on the business side of innovation that hasn’t been addressed or discussed enough?

Khalid Syed: “There are a lot of innovative and clever ways of doing things, but innovation for innovation’s sake often doesn’t get to an operation-relevant solution. Developing a solution a warfighter can use and apply to a mission right away—to me that’s the key missing part.

At Booz Allen, we try to marry how we innovate to meet that mission need. And this is not a trivial thing. It’s something you learn from experience.”

ExecutiveGov: In recent years, what are some of the biggest improvements you’ve seen in the way we talk and think about innovation across the federal sector since the rise of cybersecurity, AI/ML, 5G, and other emerging technologies?

Khalid Syed: “Not only has technology improved and matured quite a bit, but we’re also seeing more expertise, more tradecraft, and more attainable costs, as well as improved adoption. These innovations promise great things.

For example, 5G will enable operation-relevant applications faster than any other generation of wireless. But along with all the promises come challenges, such as security and spectrum co-sharing with 5G.

And we still have a way to go with the maturity of technologies such as AI given we are seeing more learning and automation rather than true AI. Siri is roughly 10.5 years old. Would you trust a 10.5-year-old to run your car—or a battleship or tank?”

ExecutiveGov: What keeps you up at night, in terms of worries and ways to make a difference in the defense sector and America’s position in the world?

Khalid Syed: “What keeps me up at night is how to create value. For example, how can we leverage our nation’s big, broad industrial base for defense and our position in the world, and how can we work with teammates and partners to create differentiated value for our warfighters in a way that is operationally relevant?”

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Serco Secures Naval Sea Systems Command Contract for Undersea Surveillance System Support; CEO Dave Dacquino Quoted
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Serco Secures Naval Sea Systems Command Contract for Undersea Surveillance System Support; CEO Dave Dacquino Quoted

Professional services company Serco Inc. has received a potential five-year, $39.8 million prime contract from the Maritime Surveillance Systems Program Office.

Under the Naval Sea Systems Command Integrated Undersea Surveillance System Product Support Facility contract, Serco will be expected to perform logistics aid and product support facility maintenance for IUSS ship and shore vessels, the Herndon, Virginia-based company said Thursday.

“The Serco team is proud to have been selected to support IUSS and their mission. We understand how critical the IUSS component is to the Navy’s anti-submarine and undersea warfare capabilities,” said Dave Dacquino, CEO and chairman of Serco Inc. and a multiple Wash100 Award winner.

While the contract work will service an international array of IUSS apparatuses, it will predominantly take place in Virginia Beach, Virginia at the IUSS Operations Support Center.

Serco Inc. has partnered with the IUSS organization for 15 years. The latter group aims to surveil maritime jurisdictions on a global scale and report on antisubmarine warfare via long-range, fixed mobile strategies. Their approach entails the detection, classification, tracking, reporting and distribution of data on surface ships, submarines and relevant aircrafts.

The IUSS is also involved in retrieving long-term oceanographic and geophysical information, administering environmental assessment efforts and research on underwater mammals, as well as supporting anti-narcotics initiatives.

Serco’s latest IUSS project, funded through the PMS 485 PEO Undersea Warfare Systems, is contracted for one base year and four option years.

It comes on the heels of two Navy contracts announced in February: a $21.9 million award to design, build, test and outfit a class of guided missile destroyers and a $64 million award to install, update and modify close-in weapon systems for the branch, in addition to those of the Army, Coast Guard and foreign allies.

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Richard DalBello Named Director of NOAA Office of Space Commerce
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Richard DalBello Named Director of NOAA Office of Space Commerce

Richard DalBello, a more than 30-year space industry veteran, has been appointed to serve as director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce.

He will assume the position on May 9 and lead OSC in its effort to advance space technologies and coordinate activities, such as developing and licensing commercial remote sensing systems, NOAA said Wednesday.

DalBello most recently served as vice president of global engagement at Virgin Galactic responsible for overseeing the commercialization of the company’s carrier aircraft and space vehicles in international markets.

He also worked at the Office of Science and Technology Policy as director for space and aeronautics during the Obama administration.

Gina Raimondo, secretary of the Department of Commerce, said DalBello’s experience and expertise will support OSC as it seeks to coordinate with key government and private sector partners to advance U.S. leadership in the commercial space market.

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Navy Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton Nominated as Commander of Fleet Cyber Command
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Navy Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton Nominated as Commander of Fleet Cyber Command

U.S Navy Rear Adm. Craig Clapperton has received a nomination from President Biden to elevate to the grade of vice admiral and assume the role of commander of the Fleet Cyber Command and the Tenth Fleet at Fort George Meade in Maryland.

The Department of Defense said Tuesday Clapperton is the current commander of Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber, Tenth Fleet.

He assumed his current responsibilities in June 2021. Other notable movements in his military career include being commissioned in 1989, having naval flight officer designation in 1991 and earning a Master of Arts in National Strategy and Security Studies from the Naval War College in 2008.

Clapperton also has more than 2,800 operational flying hours in the A-6E Intruder, EA-6B Prowler and EA-18 G Growler aircraft. DOD made the announcement on Tuesday along with other flag officer nominations.

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Army CIO Raj Iyer on Cybersecurity Executive Order, Commercial Cloud
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Army CIO Raj Iyer on Cybersecurity Executive Order, Commercial Cloud

Raj Iyer, chief information officer of the U.S. Army and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, said the cybersecurity executive order signed in May 2021 has helped drive digital security, Signal Magazine reported Wednesday.

“I think for the first time, with the White House order, that recognized there was a connection between moving to the cloud and cybersecurity,” Iyer said at a conference Wednesday.

“That doesn’t mean just moving to cloud makes you somehow automatically more secure. You still have to make sure that you build in the right cybersecurity controls even into a cloud environment, but when done right, the cloud is inherently a lot more secure and resilient than any of our on-premises computing,” he added.

He cited how the EO recognizes information technology and operational technology as part of the attack surface and shared his thoughts on commercial cloud and Army-related Risk Management Framework.

Iyer discussed some of the challenges facing the military branch when it comes to specific cybersecurity roles and highlighted the need for clarity regarding cyber-related responsibilities in relation to Title 40 and Title 44.

Army CIO Raj Iyer on Cybersecurity Executive Order, Commercial Cloud

GovCon Wire’s 2nd Annual Army IT and Digital Transformation Forum will feature Army CIO Raj Iyer as a keynote speaker. Visit the GCW Events page to sign up for the June 15 virtual forum and see the publication site’s full calendar.

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Army Taps Sig Sauer for $4.5B Squad Weapon Production Contract
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Army Taps Sig Sauer for $4.5B Squad Weapon Production Contract

The U.S. Army has chosen New Hampshire-based company Sig Sauer as the winner of a $4.5 billion contract to manufacture the branch’s Next Generation Squad Weapon system after 27 months of prototype development and evaluation work.

The firm-fixed-price contract is for the production of the XM5 Rifle and its XM250 automatic variant with a common 6.8 millimeter ammunition cartridge, according to an award notice on the Department of Defense website.

Sig Sauer will initially produce weapons and ammo for a testing effort under a $20.4 initial delivery order. The Army said it will pair the two NGSW variations with the XM157 fire control system designed to support close combat force missions.

The 6.8 Common Cartridge Family of Ammunition will employ vendor-designed cartridges and government-provided projectiles, the service added.

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Lisa Casias to Head FirstNet Authority on Acting Basis
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Lisa Casias to Head FirstNet Authority on Acting Basis

Lisa Casias, deputy CEO of the First Responder Network Authority, has been appointed to lead the agency on an acting basis in a move that takes effect May 9.

She will replace Edward Parkinson, who stepped down after more than three years in the CEO position and accepted a new role in the private sector, the FirstNet Authority said Tuesday.

Parkinson has been credited with coordinating national public safety broadband network development plans across the U.S. and territories and the agency’s initial network investments.

Casias, who assumed the deputy CEO role in November 2019, supports policy and strategy development and oversight of day-to-day operations at the FirstNet Authority.

The certified public accountant previously served as deputy assistant secretary for administration, deputy chief financial officer and director of financial management at the Department of Commerce.

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US, Allied Cyber Agencies Offer Details on Top 15 Cyber Vulnerabilities; Jen Easterly, Rob Joyce Quoted
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US, Allied Cyber Agencies Offer Details on Top 15 Cyber Vulnerabilities; Jen Easterly, Rob Joyce Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, the FBI and international partners have released a joint advisory on the top 15 routinely exploited vulnerabilities.

Some of the common vulnerabilities and exposures discussed in the advisory are Log4Shell, ProxyLogon and ProxyShell, NSA said Wednesday.

“CISA and our partners are releasing this advisory to highlight the risk that the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities pose to both public and private sector networks,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly, who is also a 2022 Wash100 Award winner. 

Easterly called on organizations to review their vulnerability management practices and initiate actions to address risks associated with exploited vulnerabilities.

The U.S. federal agencies and cybersecurity partners from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. suggested several measures organizations should take to mitigate risks.

These include vulnerability and configuration management, identity and access management and positive controls and architecture.

“This report should be a reminder to organizations that bad actors don’t need to develop sophisticated tools when they can just exploit publicly known vulnerabilities,” said Rob Joyce, cybersecurity director at NSA, a fellow 2022 Wash100 Award recipient.

“Get a handle on mitigations or patches as these CVEs are actively exploited,” Joyce added.

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Mike McCord Talks DOD’s FY23 Budget Request, Inflation Before House Panel
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Mike McCord Talks DOD’s FY23 Budget Request, Inflation Before House Panel

Mike McCord, undersecretary of defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer, appeared Wednesday before the House Budget Committee to discuss inflation and its impact on the Department of Defense’s budget request for fiscal year 2023, DOD News reported.

“When we saw prices changing last year, we took all the information that we could gather up to the time we finished the budget late in the calendar year and built that into our FY23 pricing,” he told lawmakers.

McCord, a previous Wash100 Award winner, also talked about the department’s use of a chain-weighted consumer price index to reflect higher inflation and price indices for health care, housing costs, fuel, and other goods.

“Prices have continued to evolve since we finalized our budget. We recognize the impact of global economic conditions on our ability to deliver the capabilities in this budget, and we’re prepared to work with Congress to find the best solutions to address these challenges as we move forward toward the congressional oversight of this budget,” McCord said.

In March, the administration released the president’s FY 2023 proposed budget that includes $773 billion in defense spending, up 4.1 percent from the enacted funding for FY 2022.

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Xcelerate Solutions Elevates COO Danny Olmes to President; CEO Mark Drever Quoted
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Xcelerate Solutions Elevates COO Danny Olmes to President; CEO Mark Drever Quoted

Information technology company Xcelerate Solutions has appointed Danny Olmes, currently its chief operating officer, to the position of president.

A two-decade veteran of the aerospace, defense and commercial sectors, Olmes will continue performing COO duties in addition to overseeing Xcelerate’s routine operations and business aspects, the McLean, Virginia-based company said Wednesday.

Mark Drever, Xcelerate’s CEO, said the move originates from a need for Drever to concentrate on honing the company’s client relationships and leading strategy due to “a period of record growth across an increasingly diverse portfolio.”

“Danny has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to address complex issues and make sound business decisions with the cooperation and engagement of our senior leaders,” Drever emphasized.

Olmes began as an adviser at tax consultancy firm PwC and went on to work as a research fellow at LMI and a senior financial analyst at Freddie Mac. He expanded his interests to the defense and aerospace field with the role of engineering and technical services manager at Harris Corporation and subsequently served as vice president of membership at the Aerospace Industries Association.

During his career, Olmes’ primary focus areas have been business management, financial management and analysis and data analytics, as well as supply chain management and association management.

Before joining Xcelerate in June 2021, Olmes founded and was president of technology and infrastructure start-up Hellen Systems for over three years. The company spearheaded the safeguarding of U.S. critical infrastructure via the establishment of an enhanced GPS back-up system called LORAN.

Drever cited Olmes’ sharp decision-making skills and efficient execution as factors in his promotion and the trust Xcelerate has invested in the executive.

The new Xcelerate president says he will “work every day” to prove the board of directors’ trust was well-placed.

“I’m surrounded by great people and have no doubt we’ll continue to build on our current success,” Olmes added.

The elevation of Olmes follows Xcelerate’s February hire of former IBM executive William Shaw as senior vice president of business development and sales.

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